Sometimes it helps
by black widow mistress
Summary: Joan helps annie deal with the loss of Ben and tells her a few things about love in a boys world... Slightly AU
1. Chapter 1

Joan stepped in the elevator and hit the button for her husband's floor, she stepped out of it when it stopped and walked into the office by passing the secretary. She opened the doors and smiled as her husband looked up from his work raising an eyebrow at her; she locked the door behind her and walked over to him as he stood. The slight look of fragility upon her face was enough to tell him just what she was here for, it was the same look she got when she needed to be reassured she had done the right thing, when they had had a fight over nothing and when she had just watched someone's life crumble. He held out his arms and enveloped her in them, moving them to the couch he sat down so that she was next to him and he hugged her close. He looked down at the small spot of moisture that was developing on his shirt and noticed that she was crying, the moisture was tears, and he held her closer and ran a hand through her hair.

"What's wrong honey?" he asked her knowing that for her to get this upset at work something had happened.

She raised her head and looked at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears, "Did you know that he died to protect her, the hit was supposed to take Annie out not Ben" she said and he immediately understood, ten years prior they had been in the exact same situation except he had survived.

He cupped her face and leant down to kiss her softly and gently. He pulled away so there were just millimetres between them when he whispered the words to her.

"I love you, you are the most amazing woman, and you can't blame yourself for this though" he said and she nodded standing and grabbing a tissue.

She bit her lip as she looked at him. "Thankyou" she said kissing him gently. He hugged her close and ran and hand up her back soothingly.

"Maybe you should go talk to Walker, You are probably the only one that will be able to get her to see the light in the situation" he said still holding her close.

She nodded and leant up to kiss him again.

"I love you" she said before grabbing the box of tissues and walking off to find Annie in the locker room.

Joan looked at Annie sitting there and crying, her eyes puffy from the tears that were now streaking her face, she grimaced and sat down next to the girl and put an arm around her in an almost motherly way.

"Is this over Ben?" she asked her voice soft as she addressed the emotionally brittle young woman.

Annie nodded as she wiped the tears away only to have more fall.

"Oh Annie" the words almost sounded like a plea but Annie continued to sob silently.

"He loved me, he just couldn't be with me and now that he maybe could, he is dead." She said in a strangled voice.

Joan held her "Love rarely runs smoothly especially in this line of work, maybe it was a sign" she said handing her a tissue.

Annie wiped her eyes and blew her nose gently, "I really loved him and now I don't know what to do" she said looking at the older woman.

Joan nodded "Maybe, you need to get some rest, take some time off if you like and then, maybe you need to think about what you want in a man and what you want in life too" she said her voice betraying her face with the emotion that came out.

Annie nodded and hugged her catching Joan off guard "Thankyou" she said.

"I have been there and done it, I know the problems that it brings and I know the heartache, I deal with it every day, so if I can help you through it, I am happy to" she said quietly.

Annie looked at her "How do you do it? How do you just take it all as it comes, stand there and not know what is real and what isn't, I don't get how you can always be so strong all the time"

Joan chuckled, "That's how you see me at work, there have been nights when I have cried myself to sleep whilst Arthur has held me, and there have been times when I have wanted to go back to not knowing this little world existed, to not being an asset to the agency. I spent the better part of my first six years at this agency wondering what would have happened if I hadn't met Arthur, if he hadn't left his wife and if I had actually used the college degree for something other than being the fill in tech girl" she said.

Annie smiled, "Thank you for that" she said standing and turning to leave when she noticed a male figure in the door way, she looked at Joan whom had a grimace on her face.

Joan nodded "Sometimes, it's helpful when you're in the boys club, to have another female that you can talk to and that will listen, someone that knows just how hard this job is" she said standing. "Having said that though, I know for a fact that there is a man out there that is extremely worried about you and that would like to know that you are okay" she said before walking towards the door.

"It wasn't your fault and Joan is right, Auggie is out there staring into blank space looking nervous as hell, which is hard for him" Arthur said walking over to her and squeezing Annie's shoulder before sitting down with his wife and holding her hand, their fingers intertwined.

Annie smiled "Thankyou" she said before she walked out of the room to find Auggie.


	2. Chapter 2

Hai hai to all! thanks for the reviews, they made me smile.. ALOT! and there goes the lightning again :D sorry that its short but thats all I came up with! I am having a blank lately in everything including drawing and writing . so enjoy!

* * *

Joan looked at her husband and smiled as she leant against him on the bench in the locker.

"I never expected you to turn up" she murmured against his arm.

He smiled, "I kinda might have told Auggie, I would get Annie to talk to him" he said kissing her forehead.

"She's a good kid" she said softly a pained expression crossing her face.

"She reminds me of you, always proficient in her work" he said tightening his embrace.

"I don't want her to make the same mistakes I did" she said softly before his lips met hers in a kiss.

"She won't, she knows what this all means" he said kissing her again before standing and extending his hand. "Dinner?"

She smiled as she took it and walked out of the locker room with him.

* * *

Annie walked out of the locker room gently wiping the remaining tears from her face. She walked towards Auggie's office ignoring the looks that she got from the other workers as they walked past, she opened the door and smiled as Auggie looked up at her.

"Annie!" he said as he stood.

She nodded forgetting he couldn't see her and answered "yeah" her voice breaking softly knowing that she was lucky to be where she was.

"Your crying" he said as he heard her voice.

She smiled at him and nodded again "yeah, you don't miss a beat do you Auggie"

He chuckled, "nah, only with some people though, and your one of them" he said as he hugged her.

Annie buried her face into his shoulder and cried. Auggie rubbed a hand down her back soothingly.

"It's okay, your safe" he said gently as he run his hand up her back and held her tighter.

Annie tightened her grip on him "How do you do this? Lose the people that you love and just keep going?" she asked him.

Auggie stiffened, knowing she was talking about Natasha. "It hurts a lot, but in the end its to help the greater good of people. It gets easier over time. " he replied relaxing somewhat.

"It hurts" she murmured against his shoulder.

He nodded "yeah, but Im here for you, Joan is here for you and I'm pretty sure even the Grinch himself Arthur is here for you" he said chuckling slightly.

Annie smiled, "he isn't all that bad, he is kinda like, the dad of the family and Joan is the Mum of the CIA family." She said laughing as she hugged him tighter.

"Yeah, they kinda are like the parents aren't they" he laughed and held her.

They were silent for a moment before Auggie spoke up "You wanna go get some food?" he asked her.

Annie pulled back, "Yeah, that would be nice" she said smiling.

* * *

Joan stopped as they passed Auggies office Arthur looked at her before looking in the direction of her eyes.

"They look so sweet together" she muttered, never one for sentimentality in public.

Arthur chuckled "Going soft in your old age are you?" he asked his arm snaking around her waist.

"Old? Look who's talking Honey" she chuckled as they walked off.

"Chinese?" Auggie asked as Annie pulled back.

"Yeah, that sounds good" she said and smiled as he wrapped his arm around her and they walked out the door.

* * *

Reviews are loved :D

~ Maddy!


End file.
